The government shutdown continues as both sides try to reach an agreement before the Oct. 17 debt ceiling deadline. We'll talk about the options now on the table. Then, we want to hear from AirTalk listeners about your experiences with Obamacare. How do the prices compare to your current coverage? Later, is the Obama administration transparent enough for your liking? Then, we'll talk to James Franco about his latest project--a book, "Actors Anonymous."
Democrats push for concessions three days before debt deadline
The weekend came and went with no agreement to reopen the government or to raise the debt ceiling by Thursday’s deadline. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says a deal to end the two-week shutdown and to continue government borrowing is close. House Speaker John Boehner is slated to meet with top House GOP leaders later today to discuss their options and consider crafting their own bill to raise the debt ceiling.
Meanwhile, President Obama says, “There’s some progress on the Senate side.” But there is no certainty that lawmakers can broker a deal before the U.S. runs out of money to pay its debt obligations and a new point of contention has emerged – sequestration.
The AP reports that “Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Republicans want to continue current spending at $986.7 billion and leave untouched the new round of cuts in January, commonly known as sequester, that would reduce the amount to $967 billion,” while “Democrats want to figure out a way to undo the reductions, plus a long-term extension of the debt limit increase and a short-term spending bill to reopen the government.”
Republicans have taken a hit in public opinion polls for making Obamacare a sticking point in the shutdown showdown, but Democrats aren’t far behind.
Does it make sense for the Dems to push to undo sequester cuts at this point in the game? Can this new dispute be resolved?
Guests:
Dana Rohrabacher, Republican Congressman from the 46th district, which includes Southern California coastal communities from Huntington Beach to Palos Verdes
Adam B. Schiff, Democratic Congressman from the 29th U.S. Congressional district which includes Alhambra, Altadena, Burbank, Glendale, Griffith Park, Monterey Park, Pasadena, San Gabriel, South Pasadena, Temple City
Lisa Mascaro, Congressional Reporter, Los Angeles Times
Ginger Gibson, Congressional Reporter, POLITICO
AirTalk listeners: are you paying more or less for health insurance under Obamacare?
It’s been two weeks since the new healthcare insurance exchanges under Obamacare came online. California said about 29,000 people signed up in the first week. According to Covered California, the state’s online health insurance marketplace, the site had over 980,000 unique visitors. Some 59,000 people called the agency’s call centers.
RELATED: Obamacare: Everything you need to know about enrolling in California
We’d like to hear from listeners who have comparison-shopped for a plan through Covered California. What was your experience like? Would you be paying less for healthcare under Obamacare? Or more?
Guests:
Gerald Kominski, Director of UCLA Center for Health Policy Research and a Professor of Health Policy and Management at UCLA
Paul Howard, senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and director of the their Center for Medical Progress
Broadcasters take their fight against renegade Aereo to the Supreme Court
Broadcasters on Friday petitioned the US Supreme Court to hear their suit against Aereo. Aereo is an online service that allows paying members to watch live over-the-air programming. The Second Circuit court decided in favor of Aereo and now broadcasters are taking their fight to the Supreme Court.
Will the Supreme Court hear the case? And what do companies like Aereo mean for the future of broadcasting?
Guest:
John Eggerton, Washington Bureau Chief, Broadcasting & Cable trade magazine
The Obama Administration vs. Transparency
In a sprawling indictment of the Obama Administration’s approach to press freedom and leakers of classified information, the Committee to Protect Journalists has accused the President of aggressively waging war against transparency. The Committeereleased a comprehensive report on press freedom in the United States.
The CPJ found that the current administration has become increasingly evasive with the press and not forthcoming. The CPJ reported that government officials even suspected of discussion classified information with reports were subject to intense investigation.
In total, six government employee including Edward Snowden have been accused of leaking classified information to the press since 2009. In one case, the CPJ found reporters had their phone records and emailed secretly seized, and another with a reporter forced to testify or face jail time. The CPJ also released recommendations to the white house in a letter. They asked that journalists not be at legal risk for receiving any confidential classified information, and they want the broadest possible definition of journalist in any federal shield law.
What do you think of the report? Is the Obama administration a closed one? What more can be done to protect journalists’ and their ability to gather information?
Guest:
Sandy Rowe, Chairman, Committee to Protect Journalists
James Franco: Actor, academic, and now...novelist
James Franco debut novel, “Actors Anonymous,” is loosely modeled on the traditional 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, and gives the stories of characters struggling with the addictions of celebrity, fame and access.
The actors in the novel range from an ex-child star to a McDonald's drive thru-operator, all who face their own challenges navigating the waters of Hollywood. The stories are told in different styles from lyric essays to testimonials. The book gives insight into the nature of acting as well as the business.
Franco is an accomplished actor having started in the popular NBC series "Freaks and Geeks", and films like "127 Hours", "Spiderman 2", and "Rise of the Planet of the Apes". His portrayal as James Dean in the TNT biopic earned him a 2002 Golden Globe Award for Best Actor.
Franco is also a director, and acute student having earned an undergraduate degree from UCLA in 2008, and attends Yale in pursuit of a Ph.D in their English program. His insight in the film industry gives this novel both realism and truth.
Guest:
James Franco, actor, director,visual artist, and author of "Actors Anonymous," and "Palo Alto"
James Franco will be in Los Angeles to talk about his new novel at the Aero Theatre for Live Talk Los Angeles. The event will be held this Sunday, October 20